Healing
by Aiko95
Summary: This story was originally written and published by PrincessofDarkness11. Kagome witnesses a betrayal. Sesshomaru comes to her with a proposition. In spite, she agrees and goes to live with him, taking Shippo with her. What will become of them all?
1. Betrayal

I would like to thank PrincessofDarkness11 for allowing me to adopt her "word child" XD

The first 3 chapters Will be her writing with minor adjustments from me.

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><p>Kagome ran through the forest, trying her hardest to forget what she had seen. She couldn't - wouldn't - believe that Inu Yasha would betray her like that! She should have known something was wrong when Inu Yasha suggested giving the Jewel Shards to Kikyo. <em>'That stupid- JERK! I'll never give up the jewel shards! Especially not to <em>her_!' _she thought viscously, thinking back to just a few moments earlier.

(~(~)~)

"What about that human girl?" Kikyo asked Inuyasha as he disrobed.

"I love _you_, Kikyo. Kagome is my friend, and I do love her, but not as I love you," he replied.

(~(~)~)

'_It shouldn't hurt- but it does!' _she thought, _'I shouldn't be angry with Inu Yasha. He was only following his heart.'_

"But it still hurts," she said, stopping to stare at the full moon. A few stray tears slipped down her cheeks.

In the distance she heard a wolf howl, as though it knew her pain. She half wanted to howl back. _'But that would be stupid,'_ she thought. Another wolf howled- this one closer. And then she sensed it- a demon! However, somehow this power was not evil or ominous in any way.

'_Could it be…?'_

"Sesshomaru." she spat. _'I don't get it. Why don't I sense any danger?'_

He emerged from the shadows, looking at her curiously. _'Why is the wench crying? What hurts?' _he wondered as she wiped her eyes.

"Why are you crying, human?" he asked in a detached tone.

"It's really none of your business," she snapped tearily.

"Hn. Is it my pathetic hanyou brother? Did he finally betray you? He's so like his father- flitting from one pretty girl to the next-" Sesshomaru was suddenly and quite unexpectedly thrown to the ground when Kagome literally jumped on him.

"Shut up! Please, I- I don't want to remember, I-" Kagome stopped pummeling his chest with her fists. Was it just her, or did he just indirectly call her pretty? She rolled off of him and stood with all the dignity that she could muster after such an outburst.

"What do you want?" she asked.

He stood and glared at her. "Your help. I need to find a way to heal my left arm," he said, then, as she opened her mouth to protest, he added, "You will be rewarded when you have completed your task. I will give you my shard of the Shikon Jewel. The _last_ shard of the Shikon Jewel, if I'm not mistaken."

"Well…" she remembered Inuyasha and Kikyo, "Very well. But! - You will return me to the well within three days."

Sesshomaru burst out laughing. "Three days? It will take near a month, even two. And until you do find a way, you shall be staying in my home. Do you have any arguments?"

"Just one," she said coolly, "If I am to be staying in your home, then Shippo will have to accompany me."

"Shippo?" Sesshomaru asked, "What is a 'shippo'?"

"_He_ is a kitsune," she replied, "He's my-" She paused, contemplating exactly what the kitsune ment to her. "My son." _'Wow, I guess I never realized how much I really cared for Shippo,' _she thought.

Sesshomaru sighed. He could relate to her feelings for the kitsune. He had Rin after all. "Fine. Get your things and meet me here in an hour."

(~(~)~)

"Where have you been, Kagome?" Inuyasha yelled as she approached.

"I see you and _Kikyo_ have finished your business," she said, grinning at his shocked expression, "For your information, I was speaking with Sesshomaru about a proposition he had for me."

Inuyasha nearly fell over. "What?" he screamed, "Why that-!"

"Sit Boy!" Kagome exclaimed, "I've decided to help him get his left arm back in exchange for the remaining shard of the Shikon Jewel."

"How long is this going to take?" he growled.

"A month or two," she said casually, then, almost as an afterthought, "I'll be living with him, by the way."

"Oh no! There is no way I'm going to allow you to live in the same _vicinity _as him! Under NO circumstances!" he yelled.

"Kagome!" Shippo whined, "I don't want you to leave!"

"It's okay Shippo, I told him you'd be coming with me," she said.

"Really?" Shippo asked, beaming up at her, "Sesshomaru _is _kind of scary, but I can take him!"

"That's right!" she said, standing and picking up her bag, "We'll see you in about a month."

Sango and Miroku sent her confident smiled as they pushed Inu Yasha toward the campsite.

(~(~)~)

"K- Kagome… I'm scared! Sh- shouldn't Sesshomaru be here by now?" Shippo complained, his voice shaking.

"If he doesn't get here soon, we're going to turn around and go back," Kagome huffed.

As if on cue, Sesshomaru jumped from the trees on top of which he was bounding and landed in front of them. He smirked at her unusually large bag. "Shall we go?"

Kagome nodded and Sesshomaru wrapped his arm around her waist and took off into the sky.

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><p>You know what's better than a mysterious Sesshy? REVIEWS! lol well... not really but they come in close second ^_^<p> 


	2. Arrival

Still PirncessofDarkness11 writing.

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><p>When they landed she looked up and gaped in awe at the palace in front of her. There was no doubt in her mind that it had been designed by Sesshomaru, for it was almost as intimidating as the dog-demon himself. She and Shippo followed him through the double door entrance, looking around the interior of the foyer with even more awe than they had felt at merely seeing the elaborate home of the Lord of the Western Lands.<p>

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin exclaimed, rushing toward him with Jaken in tow, "You're back! You weren't gone nearly as long as Jaken said you would be. He kept saying," she cleared her throat and mimicked Jaken's voice, "'That girl is just as stubborn as that half demon! He'll be gone for a week trying to convince her…' Oh! It's you!"

Kagome smiled down at her. "Hello. It's been a while since I last saw you," she said, "I knew that you were Sesshomaru's companion. Inuyasha just wouldn't believe that his brother would travel with a hum-" Kagome stopped speaking suddenly and shook Inuyasha's image from her mind.

"What's wrong? You got really pale all of a sudden," Rin said, concernedly, "I know what will make you feel better! Let's go pick flowers! There's a whole meadow full of wild flowers not too far from here, but Jaken will never take me. He says flowers are silly. Do you think flowers are silly?"

"No, of course not," Kagome replied.

"Rin, Kagome is here to do a job for me," Sesshomaru interjected, "She doesn't have time to go gallivanting about with you."

Rin's face fell, and Kagome's heart fell with it. "Rin, I'm sure Shippo will go to the meadow with you, won't you?"

"Sure! I- mean… cause she'll need someone to protect her in case of danger," Shippo said, trying his hardest to sound grown up.

"Yay! Let's go, Shippo!" Rin exclaimed, grabbing Shippo and pulling him out the door.

"Jaken," Sesshomaru said, "Go with them."

"Yes, m'Lord," Jaken said sadly, grumbling all the way.

"Rin's quite a sweetie," Kagome said, "What exactly does she mean to you?"

"That's really none of your business," he retorted, "But you could say she's like a daughter to me."

Kagome smiled. She knew it wasn't much, but she also knew that Sesshomaru wasn't the kind of guy to tell just anybody something like that. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to live with him. She continued smiling as she was shown to her room. To the left of Kagome's room, was Shippo's, and three doors to the right was Sesshomaru's, and even further to the right, was Rin's room. The rest of the rooms were used as guest rooms and such. Each room, of course, had its own private bathroom and dressing room.

"There are also hot springs off to the side of the house, if you would rather use them," he said.

"Where's the library?" Kagome asked.

"Downstairs, next to the parlor- how did you know?" he asked.

"All big, elegant houses like this have libraries. It's common knowledge," she said, "I'll just drop my stuff in my room and then I'll be in the library."

"Wouldn't you rather relax a bit?" he asked before he could stop himself. Why did he care? The sooner she got the job done, the sooner he would be rid of her.

"Nope. Once I've set my mind to do something, there's no rest until it's accomplished."

She walked briskly out of the room and down to the library. She pulled out every book on healing, regeneration, mutation, and any other topic that seemed even remotely relevant and spread out on the floor. Shippo and Rin brought her dinner and they ate together in the library. Sesshomaru walked into the room at dawn to find her sprawled amongst open books and page upon page of notes. He shook his head, wondering why humans seemed to enjoy exhausting themselves, and walked to her. He picked her up as gently as he could and took her to her room, laying her on the bed. Without thinking, he brushed his lips over her forehead and then stood upright, eyes wide.

'_Why did I…? Must be out of habit, with Rin and all. Yes, that's it. It's merely habit, and nothing more,'_ he thought, leaving the room.

The next day, Kagome woke to a bright light shining in her eyes. She sat up, groaning slightly and rubbing her sore neck. She looked around at her surroundings and wondered how the hell she had gotten to the room. She thought she remembered being carried… warmth… lips… wait- lips? _'Okay, now I'm **sure** it was all a dream…'_

She practically fell out of bed and walked down to the library to continue her work. One her way she ran into Rin and Shippo, who had become nearly inseparable since they met, and ate a small breakfast with them.

"Is this how it always is?" Kagome asked.

"What do you mean?" Rin replied.

"I mean… does Sesshomaru ever eat with you?" she said, "Does he ever show up at _all_?"

"Yes," Rin said, smiling, "Sometimes _Lord Sesshomaru_ takes me to the meadow. And sometimes, when I'm sick, he brings me food in my room and we eat together- just the two of us. A lot of the time, I'm just pretending to be sick, though."

Kagome grinned. It was just too hard to picture Sesshomaru being kind to anybody! She wondered how Sesshomaru treated Inu Yasha when they were kids…

That night, Kagome fell asleep in the library again. In fact, she seemed to fall asleep in the midst of her research every night. And, every night, Sesshomaru would take her to her room. Until the third week of her stay…

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><p>You know the drill. Review please ! ^-^<p> 


	3. Breakdowns and Breaks

Still PirncessofDarkness11 writing.

The next chapter will be mine ^_^

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><p>Sesshomaru approached the library late that evening to find Kagome hugging her knees to her chest on the floor. Tears fell silently down her cheeks to drop onto the papers scattered around her. Sesshomaru took a step backward, wanting nothing more than to flee with all haste, and bumped into the doorframe. He cursed himself. Kagome looked up at him through her tears and forced a weak smile.<p>

"I still haven't found anything… I'm sorry," she said, "I'll get back to work."

"You're rather presumptuous. I did not come here to see if you'd made any progress. I came to tell you that tomorrow, you will not set one foot in this room," he said with all the authority of one who is accustomed to running things.

"I can't! I have to find a way to help you… I'm so close! I know it!" she wiped the memories of Inu Yasha from her mind and approached the shelves once again.

"You must really wish to be free of my company," he said monotonously.

Kagome chuckled and glanced over her shoulder at him. "Or maybe I really wish to help you."

Sesshomaru was slightly taken aback by this. Nobody ever actually wanted to help him. His expression softened and he walked over to stand behind her.

Kagome knew he was behind her - she could feel the heat that emanated from his body- but she didn't acknowledge his presence. She reached for a book and, finding it just beyond her grasp, stood on her toes. However, it still evaded her by nearly half a foot. Suddenly, Sesshomaru reached up, well above her head, pressing his body to hers- deliberately or not, she didn't know - and got the book for her.

He stepped back and she turned to receive the book from him. As she took it from his hand, he grabbed her wrist. Pulling her to him, he covered his mouth with his own, invading it with his tongue. The book slid from her fingers and fell to the floor with a dull thud. She wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to allow him better access. He backed her against the shelf, his arm wrapping around her waist.

'_What am I doing?' _she thought, _'What is HE doing? Why am I letting him?'_ His fingers brushed the small of her back, sending waves of warmth through her body, _'Because he cares enough to…'_

"Sorry to interrupt, but you just left without…" Koga's words were lost when he saw who Sesshomaru had been kissing so passionately. "Kagome?" he exclaimed.

"K- Koga? What are you doing here?" she said, with a confused look, and tried to step forward, but Sesshomaru moved in front of her.

"What do you want, Koga?" he stated, "I told you, I'm busy."

"I see why," Koga retorted bitterly, then, to Kagome, "Does Inuyasha know that you are so intimate with his brother?"

Kagome gasped, her eyes widening and brimming with tears again. Koga grinned.

"I see," he said, stepping farther into the room, "First you choose that mutt over me, and now this cold hearted bastard?"

"Koga, I really didn't- I mean, I just…" Kagome thought over what she was going to say.

"She owes you no explanation, wolf," Sesshomaru said, "She is free to make her own decisions. I merely asked for her assistance."

Kagome leaned over to pick up the book and then she saw what it had opened to.

'**Piccolo Lilies,' **she read, **'A healing herb that, when stewed with purified water, peppermint oil, dried and powdered newt, and the hair of the drinker for 2 hours, gives the drinker regenerative powers for 24 hours. They are only found deep within the western forest.' **Next to that was a picture of a beautiful flower with purple petals and a single blue leaf.

"Sessh-" she started, but ceased when she heard what was being said.

"As soon as I have my arm back, you and my pathetic half demon brother can resume fighting over her, as usual," Sesshomaru said.

She snapped the book shut, standing upright and glaring at them both. _'And what if I decide I don't want to leave?'_ she thought, brushing past him. "If you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to go to bed now. Good night!" she huffed.

Koga made to follow her, but Sesshomaru stopped him with a single passing glare. He followed her up to her room and threw the door open without a second thought. They both froze- Sesshomaru still holding the door handle, Kagome preparing to slip a clean shirt on. She blushed and hurriedly threw the shirt on.

"What?" she snapped.

Recovering from his shock, he closed the door behind him. "I have angered you."

"Gee, what gave you that impression?" she said sardonically.

"What did I do that has put you in such a foul mood?" he asked.

"Just- what you said to Koga about… me going back to Inuyasha," she said, turning away from him so he wouldn't see the tears slip past her lashes and down her cheeks. But he could smell them.

"Why are you crying? Do you not wish to leave?" he asked.

"I am not crying!" she said, trying to, and failing miserably at hiding it.

"Do not lie to me, Kagome. I can smell your tears," he said, crossing to her in a fraction of a second and turning her to face him, "What has my brother done that has you so devastated?"

"Nothing," Kagome lied. His grip on her arms tightened slightly and his eyes bore into hers. She sighed. "He chose a bunch of bones and clay over me. That's all… nothing big, I'm just being stupid."

"You loved him," Sesshomaru said. It was a statement- made as though he saw her very heart.

Kagome stared up into his amber eyes, realizing that, though the same color, they were very different from Inuyasha's. Sesshomaru's eyes were so- masked. You saw nothing in them, yet they saw everything in you. She reached up and brushed her fingers across his cheek.

"I thought I loved him," she said softly, "But now- now I'm just not so sure if what I felt for him was real."

"Do you wish to leave?" he asked again.

"I don't know… not to… I don't know," she said.

"You should get some sleep. I am waking you early for breakfast," he said turning to leave, "And remember- not one foot."

Kagome smiled and slipped into bed. She fell asleep quickly and was thankfully blessed with pleasant dreams.

Sesshomaru stepped into the hallway and almost ran into Koga. He scowled.

"Why are you still here?" he spat.

"Kagome is _my_ woman. Do you honestly think I'll leave her alone with a heartless monster like you?" Koga said.

"_Your woman_? Why do you brand her with meaningless titles, as though she is a possession?" Sesshomaru replied.

"Because, I love Kagome, and I'll die before I let you soil her," Koga growled.

"What are you talking about?" Sesshomaru asked, walking past him.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about," Koga retorted, following him down the stairs, "I know all about you Sesshomaru. You're heartless and you're known all over these parts for your merciless cruelty toward women. I won't let you do anything to Kagome!"

"I don't know where you heard such things, but I assure you that I have never harmed any women in the way that you are suggesting. I am not, as you said, a monster," he said.

"Do you honestly think that I'm going to believe you? You said yourself that you asked for her assistance. What other use is a human woman to you other than a mere plaything?"

"You know nothing of me or of my ways. Now, if you do not leave my home at once, I assure you that you will regret it," Sesshomaru said, baring his fangs.

"You'll have to kill me first," Koga replied, bracing for battle.

"I will not fight you while there are children sleeping nearby," Sesshomaru said, "We will take this battle outside."

"Fine with me," Koga stated, walking out the door, "But if I win, you give Kagome up to me."

Sesshomaru chuckled. "You will never win."

Kagome woke in the middle of the night to a huge crash. She looked out her window to see Sesshomaru poised over a body. He was raising his arm, preparing to finish the battle. Kagome's eyes widened. That was Koga!

"Sesshomaru!" she yelled, making him look up toward the window, "Wait!" She looked down at the ground and, determining that it wasn't that far from her window- she was only on the second story- and jumped from the window. She landed with a slight 'oomph!' and ran to Sesshomaru.

"Don't kill him!" she said.

"Why? He was making rude insinuations about you and he refused to live unless I killed him," Sesshomaru said.

"Still… he has a tribe to take care of. They depend on him for support, so please don't kill him," she pleaded.

He lowered his arm, sighing. "I can't believe I'm listening to the pleas of a mortal."

"Am I still alive?" Koga groaned.

"Yes, thanks to Kagome," Sesshomaru said.

"Where are Ginta and Hakaku?" Kagome asked.

"I don't know, but they should be here soon," Koga said.

"Good. We'll wait with you until they get here to take you with them," she said, sitting down. Moments later, the two wolf demons arrived. After a brief explanation, they carried Koga off and left Kagome and Sesshomaru alone again.

"Why did you stop me?" he asked.

"I already told you," she replied, "He has a lot of people who depend on him. Besides, he may be a delusional fool, but he's not such a bad guy. He just needs to find someone else to dote on."

Sesshomaru chuckled. "He has a fiancée, does he not?"

"How did you know about Ayame?" Kagome asked.

"I know all that goes on- everywhere," he replied, making Kagome laugh.

"I should probably go back to bed," she said, standing up, "Good night, Sesshomaru."

"Hmm… good night," he said, watching her walk back to the house.

Kagome was shaken awake much later by Sesshomaru. She sat up, covered in a sheen of sweat, and shook her head, looking up at him.

"Were your dreams troubled? You were tossing and mumbling in your sleep," he said.

"You could say that," she replied, blushing.

Sesshomaru had poised himself over her and… she shook her head again, but nothing could get that dream out of her mind.

"The kitsune- Shippo? -is downstairs with Rin and Jaken. They are waiting for us," she said, holding out his hand, "Shall we?"

Kagome got out of bed and took his hand. She walked with him into the main room where Shippo flew at her. She caught him in a motherly embrace.

"Are you really going to spend the day with us, Kagome? Sesshomaru said something about a picnic!" Shippo exclaimed.

"I thought you said he was _scary_!" she teased.

"He's not so bad…" he said, grinning.

"Then why is he always trying to kill Inuyasha?" Kagome asked.

Sesshomaru sighed. "I suppose you deserve the truth. I never actually intended to kill him. It was my father's dying wish that I train my younger brother so he would be more capable of protecting his tomb," he explained, "As much as I despised it, I had to respect my father's wishes."

"Oh… I never- _never_- would have expected that. Although I guess it makes sense. There were several occasions where you could have killed Inu Yasha, but you always managed to walk away…" Kagome said, chuckling nervously, "Well, are we going to eat or what?"

And so, they commenced with breakfast. Rin and Shippo finished eating first and began chatting animatedly. Kagome smiled at her plate. _'They already act like siblings…'_ she thought when Rin thumped Shippo on the head.

When they all had finished, they sat in the parlor. Sesshomaru told Rin and Shippo tales of battles that he had witnessed and fought in, while Kagome simply sat back and listened, smiling at the awe on Shippo's face. Jaken had long since been dismissed on errands unknown to Kagome.

Her mind kept wandering to the book, hidden in her room. _'Piccolo lilies…' _she thought, going over it in her mind, _'If I tell him, I'll have to leave, but if I don't he'll never get his arm back. Damn it! Why am I being so selfish? Of course I have to tell him!'_ And then he laughed at some silly thing Shippo had said. _'Although… nobody says it has to be now…'_

"Kagome! Tell them about your time! I really like the stories about your s- sk- 'skole'… they're funny," Shippo exclaimed.

"I'm sure they're not interested in- in…" Kagome's eyes widened, "Oh my god! Mom's going to kill me!"

"What are you ranting about?" Sesshomaru asked.

"I have to go home- now!" she said, standing up abruptly.

"I thought we agreed that you could go back to idiot brother _after_ I got my arm back," he said coldly.

"I'm talking about my _real_ home, dumb ass!" she yelled, then sighed, running a hand through her hair, "Sorry, but I need to go home to my mom, and my grandpa, and my little brother. Please take me to the bone eaters well."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because, that's the only way for me to get home. Shippo, you and Rin stay here, we'll be back in a flash," she said, smiling.

Sesshomaru grabbed her and in only a few minutes they arrived at the well. Kagome jumped into it, waving to Sesshomaru. He reached out in alarm to grab her hand, only to be pulled into the well himself.

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><p>Review please ! ^-^<p>

The next chapter will be of my own creation, and so will all of the following :)


	4. Home and Meeting Family

Well this is my first chapter

Hope yu like

I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA

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><p>She felt Sesshomaru take hold of her hand, but it was to late to let go, the familiar blue light had already enveloped her and when she landed on the other side she still felt her hand in his. She looked over and there he was, <em><strong>"But how is that possible?' <strong>_

"Why did you jump down this well? I fail to see how it will take you home, and why does the air smell so foul?" Sesshomaru sniffed.  
>"this well transcends the fabric of time. I live 500 years in the future." Kagome responded as she started to climb out of the well. She froze when she felt Sesshomaru's arm around her waist, he jumped out of the well and was surprised to find a structure around the well. He allowed Kagome to take his hand and lead him from the well house to the outside.<p>

When Kagome opened the door she saw her grandpa sweeping and called out to him.

"Ahhhh! Kagome look out! There is a deamon behind you!" He rushed over and started pulling out sutras but Kagome stopped him by saying, "Grandpa, I don't know why you are trying, those things never work anyways."

"Sesshomaru, this is my grandfather, grandpa this is Lord Sesshomaru. Come on I've got to talk to my mom." She said and pulled Sesshomaru towards the house. As soon as they stepped through the door a blur rushed towards Kagome and before either of them could react, Kagome's mother had her in the tightest embrace she had ever experienced. At the same time Souta came down stairs.  
>"Kagome Higurashi, don't you ever be away for that long again! I was so worried!" Mrs. Higurashi let go of her daughter and looked behind her to see Sesshomaru.<p>

"Oh, and who is this?"  
>"This is Lord Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru this is my mother and my younger brother Souta." Mrs. Higurashi bowed and said, "I am very pleased to make your acquaintance my Lord." Souta followed suit and, though you couldn't tell, Sesshomaru was impressed. He slightly inclined his head and replied, "Likewise." At this Mrs. Higurashi promptly took Kagomes bag and bustled about the kitchen gathering everything her daughter would need. After about 20 minutes Mrs. Higurashi handed her daughter her bag and hugged her.<p>

"Just so I dont worry, when are you going to be back?" Kagome, unsure of her answer, looked to Sesshomaru.  
>"She will make her next visit in a fortnight. She is assisting me in a matter of great importance." His tone implied that no questions were to be asked of what the important matter was, so Mrs. Higurashi bowed, thanked him for taking care of Kagome, and hugged her daughter.<p>

"I love you mom."  
>"I love you to Kagome. Stay safe please." She said more to Sesshomaru. He nodded in acknowledgment and turned toward the door. Kagome gave each of her family members a hug before jogging over to catch up with Sesshomaru.<p>

"Your family seems... stable." He said almost hesitantly as they approached the well house.  
>"Well they are... most of the time." She said opening the door and desending the steps. She walked over to the edge and let her legs dangle over the side. She weld her hand out to him.<p>

"I think it works if your touching me."  
>"Hn." He took her hand and lept down the well dragging her with him.<p>

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><p>I know it not a long chapter but I just wanted to get one chapter posted for each of my fics this week :) Review please ! ^-^<p> 


	5. Selfishness and a Discovery

As Sesshomaru took Kagome by the waist, she thought about the solution to his problem. Hidden away in her mind and his library, her stay with the Lord of the Western Lands could be cut short and she could return to the Inutachi. She didn't know if that was what she wanted. She was sure by now that Inuyasha had integrated Kikyo into the group. He was working towards it for weeks before she left with Sesshomaru. Kagome knew she could only hold off the inevitable for so long, but then again, she _could_ hold it off. She felt guilty for having this train of thought. She was here to help Sesshomaru regain his long-lost appendage, yet here she was with the answer to his problem locked away in her head. She felt guilty for being selfish, but at the same time she wanted to be selfish. When was the last time she did something for herself?

(~(~)~)

By the time they got back to the castle, the children had been put to sleep and most of the castle had retired for the evening. Kagome and Sesshomaru said their goodnight's and went their separate ways, Sesshomaru to his room and Kagome to the library. She wanted to find out more about these Piccolo Lillies.

She entered the library and picked up the book in which they were hidden. It was a thick leather-bound tome with beautiful and colorful drawings etched on the front, of flowers and vines all surrounding the title.

**Magic Herbs, their properties, and their many uses  
><strong>**A complete guide to magic potions**

She flipped through the yellowing pages until she found it again.

******Piccolo Lillies******

****A Piccolo Lilly is a flower that when stewed properly gives the drinker regenerative powers for 24 hours. They are only found deep within the western forest. (Instructions for potion on pg. 354)****

She was on page 214.

******Piccolo Lillies Regenerative Potion******

****2 whole Piccolo Lillies********  
>3 cups of purified water<br>5 drops of peppermint oil  
>2 small newts<br>2 (at least) hairs****

****Add purified water to pot. Bring to a boil. Add peppermint oil. Bring to a boil while you grind the Lillies, newts and hair together. Once completely ground together, pour powder into water and let stew for 2 days. Once stewing is complete the potion must be consumed. For the potion to work you must speak your name and the limb you wish to regenerate. Regeneration will take up to a week, during which time the drinker should not get out of bed. Until the limb is completely regrown the drinker must rest and not strain themselves.****

That was it. Just those few paragraphs were the answer to Sessomaru's problem. She heard the door to the library open and stuffed the book in an open space in the book shelf and hurried to make it look like she was simply looking for a book.

"Kagome." Her name had been spoken so softly she had to turn around to see who it was.

Sesshomaru stood in the open doorway.

"Yes Sesshomaru?" She responded.  
>"Come walk with this Sesshomaru. I am unable to sleep." He stated more than asked.<br>"Coming Sesshomaru." She replied.  
>He took her down hallways and finally outside to the most beautiful little garden. There was a shallow koi pond in the middle with a cherry blossom tree hanging over it on the left. there were stone benches on either side of the pond and closest to the shoji screen. Sesshomaru led them to sit on the bench facing the pond and forest. Her gaze strayed a bit deeper into the forest and she could not believe her eyes. There they were. A whole vine of Piccolo Lillies wrapped around an ancient tree.<p>

"Are you alright Kagome?"  
>"Huh? I'm fine why do you ask?" She asked.<br>"Your heart rate spiked just a minute ago."  
>"Oh, umm... I thought I saw something in the shadows before I realized you were with me."<br>"You do not feel the need to worry when in my company?"  
>"Not really."<br>"Hm."

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, or at least it felt that way for Kagome. Every few seconds her eyes would wander over to the Piccolo Lillies, unable to believe they were so close. Circumstances being what they are she now knew that she could not keep the truth from him for long. She decided then that she would "find" the answer within the next few days.

"Why do you not feel the need to worry around this Sesshomaru?" The question was so sudden, I jumped slightly. I collected myself and looked up to his face. All I could do was stare. This was the first time I had really looked at him, and he was... beautiful. With the light of the full moon on his face he was more attractive than any male I had ever seen. Before I could collect myself and answer him he turned toward me and looked at me with questioning eyes.  
>"Um, w-well, I-I don't r-really know. I-I just feel, safe around you. Like nothing can hurt me." I said feeling the blush start to creep up my cheeks.<br>"Hm." He looked back to the moon and my eyes were once again drawn to the Lillies.  
>"Come. We will retire for the night. You continue your search in the morning." He stated as he stood. I felt reluctance, this place really was beautiful.<br>"Could I continue my search out here?" I said gesturing to the garden around me.  
>"I see no problem with it. Just be careful. Make sure to erect a barrier around yourself while you are out here without me." I smiled and hugged him. Then froze. I doubt anyone had done this without being beheaded. Instead of pushing me away like I thought he would, he wrapped his arm around my waist hesitantly, almost as if he was scared I would spurn his embrace. Fat chance. When his arm was around me I increased my pressure and so did he. I lifted my face to look at him and was confused by what I saw. There was an emotion on his face. I scrunched up my brows in confusion and as quickly as it had appeared it disappeared. He quickly disentangled himself from me and motioned for me to head inside. Once we were there he escourted me back to my room. I turned around to bid him a good night only to find that he was gone. I don't know why but that hurt me a bit. So bone tired and ready for bed I went inside, but not before whispering goodnight down the hallway in the direction of Sesshomaru's room.<p> 


	6. AN

Hello :) I know you all hate these but I need help. I cant decide which story i should re-write first so I thought id let my readers decide. There is a poll on my profile... vote away!


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